When I was a child, Halloween meant dressing in a costume Mama made for me. I went with her to the cloth store to select the cloth and pattern. One year, she made a colonial dress; another year, a cat costume. I also remember wearing a powder-blue princess dress, crown, and pretty-face plastic mask, that soon came off because it was too hot.
When my children were small, they dressed as animals, a ballerina, or clown and went to our church for Noah’s Ark.
Halloween is different now, everything dark and disturbing. People, not just children, come to the door sporting axes in the top of their heads with fake blood dripping down their faces or other forms of frightening attire. Movies glorify gore and terrify with hideous images.
Several years ago, I began turning off the lights on October 31 and refusing to participate, except for grandchildren who know to come to my deck door for a warm hug.
When a “holiday” (which I think is a misnomer) becomes all about darkness, it’s time to seek the light instead.
Shun Darkness and Evil
Our world is full of evil. If you doubt that, watch the news for a few nights. Teens kill other teens. Serial killers roam the streets looking for victims. Rapes, revenge killings, vicious gang initiations, and multiple forms of abuse happen daily. Evil is rampant all around us.
Other forms of evil, like gossip, embezzlement, and other types of stealing, while less violent, are just as damaging.
While we can’t stop evil, we can make sure we aren’t participating or contributing to it, and encourage others to do likewise.
Look for Sources of Light
The world is filled with darkness, but there are plenty of sources of light to overcome that darkness. People of faith recognize the Light, but sometimes, even they are overshadowed by darkness. Financial hardship, illness, grief, guilt, and depression dim light, causing us to question God’s faithfulness and slow forward motion. When this happens, we must search for the light, cling to Christ, who is The Light, and trust him for peace and illumination.
Pursue Peace
So much in our lives threatens to rob us of peace. Verbal attacks, self-loathing, fear, financial instability, and global unrest are all peace-robbers. Peace and illumination are intertwined. We see light more clearly when we rest in God-given peace, so pursue peace.
Harness Hope
Without hope, we gravitate toward what is scary, negative and dark. Our minds fill with what-ifs when hope is absent. Harnessing hope requires effort because our natural bent is toward despair. Our greatest hope-builder is remembering God’s faithfulness in the past and trusting the assurance of his future presence and faithfulness.
When darkness overwhelms, look for the Light, pursue peace, and harness hope.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out” (John 1:5 GNT).
“So submit yourselves to the one true God and fight against the devil and his schemes. If you do, he will run away in failure” (James 4:7 VOICE).
©CandyArrington
Candy Arrington is an award-winning writer, blogger, and speaker. She often writes on tough topics with a focus on moving through, and beyond, difficult life circumstances. Candy has written hundreds of articles, stories, and devotions published by numerous outlets including: Inspiration.org, Arisedaily.com, CBN.com, Healthgrades.com, Care.com, Focus on the Family, NextAvenue.org, CountryLiving.com, and Writer’s Digest. Candy’s books include Life on Pause: Learning to Wait Well (Bold Vision Books), When Your Aging Parent Needs Care (Harvest House), and AFTERSHOCK: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide (B&H Publishing Group).
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